Resources & Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how important internet-based technology is to access telehealth services and how the digital divide exacerbates existing inequities in access to health care. Many patients without adequate internet access have needed to rely on audio-only telehealth for their care. In response to the digital divide, Governor Newsom and the California Legislature have leveraged the state surplus to make a landmark state investment in broadband infrastructure in a bold attempt to close the digital divide. Join our panel discussion on the current state of these digital inequities within California and how it affects patients and providers. Panelists will provide background on the fundamentals of broadband and how California’s investment in broadband infrastructure will impact the digital divide.

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The California Telehealth Policy Coalition looks at what’s next for telehealth policy in the state. With the Administration and legislators offering different proposals on telehealth policy earlier this year, an agreement was reached on how to go forward. This webinar will look at the details of that agreement, what potential impacts may be and what are the next steps.

View the factsheet on AB 133 here.

COVID-19 forced greater utilization of modalities that were not considered part of telehealth or utilized as frequently prior to the pandemic. The use of audio-only phone, secure direct messaging, and greater use of e-consult required temporary policy changes in order to avoid leaving parts of the population without health care services as COVID-19 limited access due to connectivity, equipment, digital literacy or lack of resources to pay for such things. As our society begins to open up, those limitations to access continue to exist leaving policymakers with the question of which of these temporary policies should remain.  Join the Telehealth Policy Coalition for this webinar that will focus on how these alternate modalities have been utilized, helped and what the impact would be if they suddenly disappear.

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